AMMAN —
Jordan is seeking to address the overcrowding of
Palestinian travelers on the
King Hussein Bridge, which was caused by Israel’s failure to accommodate the
unprecedented passenger traffic, Minister of Interior Mazen Al-Farraya said
Tuesday.
اضافة اعلان
Farraya’s comment
came as Palestinian Prime Minister
Muhammad Al-Shtayyeh said that the
Palestinian Authority is coordinating with Jordan to have Israel leave
Al-Karamah border crossing open around the clock.
Karamah border crossing connects Jordan with the
West Bank, which is under Israeli occupation since the territory was seized in the
1967 Arab-Isreali war. The border straddles the Jordan Valley, on the edge of
the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.
It is known that the area has scorching temperatures
this time of the year, which could run to the upper 40OC.
In a tour of the
Jordan Valley crossing, Farraya
promised immediate, medium-term, and long-term solutions to most of the
traveler problems, especially those of a humanitarian and logistical nature, according
to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
The minister explained that the border crossing is
experiencing unprecedented traveler congestion as a result of a two-year travel
disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the holiday season, and the return
of expatriates.
He disclosed that more than 10,000 passengers arrive
daily at the crossing, but only about half of them are able to cross due to the
Israeli measures of short working hours and limited staff.
Regarding
short-term fixes, Farraya said that new arrangements with the relevant
transportation companies will allow for the sale of transportation tickets at
designated locations throughout the governorates and the capital Amman, rather
than at the crossing, and in accordance with the number of passengers the
Israeli side can handle.
Additionally, he noted that within two weeks, an
electronic platform will be launched through which travelers crossing the King
Hussein Bridge can obtain an electronic transport ticket.
Farraya met with bridge officials, who suggested
opening new lanes and rehabilitating existing ones so that one section is for
commercial trucks and the other is for travelers to reduce congestion and
improve traffic flow.
The minister explained that the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates is working with stakeholders to find solutions that
will facilitate passenger traffic, denying that any country is mediating
between Jordan and Israel regarding the travel movement procedures on the
bridge.
So far, there is no information that Israel will
possibly extend its working hours, Farraya said.
In a separate development, Shtayyeh, the Palestinian
premier, said that his authority was in touch with Jordan to have Israel extend
to 24 hours its shifts on the border crossing to ease the backup.
Shtayyeh demanded in a statement that a separate
passenger track be designated at the crossing, known in Jordan as the King
Hussein Bridge, until the reopening of the Damia Bridge.
Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary of the Executive
Committee of the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), blamed the Israeli
government for what he termed a “catastrophic situation” at the Karamah
crossing.
Sheikh said in a statement that intensive contacts are
currently underway with Jordan to find solutions to “this tragic situation, which
Palestinians are experiencing”. He called on Israel to take the necessary
measures to end the suffering of people on the bridge.
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